Lil’ Wayne’s Rap Style Explained

August 13, 2016

Among the number of rappers most respected today, Lil Wayne is one of the most instantly recognizable in the game. In this article, I'll show you how to rap like Lil Wayne using a variety of techniques.
Firstly, you'll have to match Lil Wayne's classic Southern drawl. The key is to stretch your syllables- rather than saying "ya'll" say "YA-AAALLL." Listen to several Lil Wayne raps and you'll notice how he stretches his rhymes over the beats.
East coast rappers seem to have the hardest time adapting to the Southern patterns of speech, but Jay-Z was one of the first to really capture it.
If you want to learn how to rap like Lil Wayne, you MUST focus on strengthening your vocals. Some rappers are known for their lyrics (Eminem) some are known for their flow (Andre 3000 from Outkast) and others like Lil Wayne are known for their voice. I'm not going to say you should train your voice to sound exactly like him, but rather to practice vocal exercises to make you sound more like you.
To strengthen your rap voice, you'll have to develop the resonance that comes from your vocal chords and diaphragm. First, you'll want to stretch your vocal chords by yawning (or pretending to yawn) at least five times in a row.
Next, you'll want to practice your resonance by humming from just below you navel- this is your deepest part of your vocal range, and where you have the most power. Rappers with powerful voices like Lil Wayne know how to rap from deep in their guts to add power to their recordings.
Remember, you may want to learn how to rap like Lil Wayne, but that doesn't mean you should sound exactly like him. Practice your southern drawl, find beats with strong Southern undertones, and develop your voice.